Sandoval seeking $100M, wants to stay in SF
Pablo Sandoval has sought a contract in the $100 million range. (USATSI)
Back in April and May when he was uncharacteristically struggling and batting south of .200, Pablo Sandoval might have been wondering whether he made the right call turning down the Giants‘ multiyear offer in spring training.
But now that he’s a three-time World Series winner with a .426 career World Series batting average, there can be no second thoughts about that.
Sandoval was seeking north of $100 million even in spring and those lean early months, as was written here. So of course he is still seeking the same type of money — at least — now that he is officially a free agent and coming off his World Series heroics.
As things stand now, he looks like the top free-agent position player in a rather thin field beyond the top few players.
Victor Martinez is great, of course, one of the best hitters in the game. But he’s 36. Hanley Ramirez is a fantastic talent, no question about that. But his timing isn’t the best: He had a huge year and a half in late 2012 plus 2013 for the Dodgers, but wasn’t quite as good this past year.
As for timing, Sandoval, who just turned 28 in August, well, his couldn’t be better.
Sandoval — beloved in San Francisco — had a premonition about Game 7, telling agent Gustavo Vazquez, as Vazquez retells it, that when he left the Intercontinental Hotel he saw himself getting three singles in the big game. Well, he wound up reaching base in all four plate appearances in a pitching-dominated 3-2 Giants victory, on, oh yes, three singles and a hit by pitch (for the record, Sandoval didn’t predict the hit by pitch; I asked).
“He’s the full package,” Vazquez said. “He’s a player who can help any team get to the postseason and do well in the postseason. He’s a winner.”
As of today, not a soul can argue with that, as Sandoval not only possesses three rings but contributed heavily to those titles, especially the last two. He won the World Series MVP in 2012 when he set an early tone by hitting three home runs in his first three at-bats of that Series, including the first two off Tigers ace Justin Verlander.
Sandoval had a solid regular season after his awful start, batting .279 with 16 home runs and 73 RBI, but where he does his best work is the postseason. In October games, he is a .344 career hitter with a .545 slugging percentage.
The Red Sox are among teams expected to make a big play for Sandoval, and they definitely could use his power. While the Yankees seem more focused on their own third base guy, Chase Headley, they will likely at least put in a call.
But it’s still hard to see Sandoval playing anywhere besides San Francisco. And, for the record, he’d like nothing more than to remain a Giant.
“He loves the city. He loves the team. He loves the fans,” Vazquez said. “And he wants to stay.”
The Giants have done a better job keeping their players than anybody else (they’ve obviously done a better job with a lot of things lately than anybody else). They locked up stars Buster Posey, Madison Bumgarner, Hunter Pence, Matt Cain and Angel Pagan to long-term deals, and they will try again with Sandoval.
It’s believed the Giants offered a three-year guarantee for about $40 million back in spring, and the sides haven’t spoken about the contract since (they’ve obviously been pretty busy lately). But no one should take that to mean they aren’t interested. They will try again.
“We have a good track record of getting our guys back, and Pablo is one of our own,” Bobby Evans, the Giants’ assistant GM, texted on the way to the World Series parade Friday in San Francisco.
The Giants make no secret that want to keep the man they call Panda.
“As far as what happens, I don’t know. It’s obvious I love this kid,” manager Bruce Bochy was quoted as saying after the title was won. “I’ve had him since he came up, and hopefully things get done.”
Sandoval’s talent is unquestionable. The one issue has been the weight. But Sandoval looked nimble at third base this postseason, making one superb backhand play and several other good ones, before finally squeezing the ball for the final out in Game 7 on Salvador Perez‘s sky-high foul pop.
Sandoval looks like he’s lost some weight from his earlier days, and appears to be a lot closer to his listed weight of 245 pounds than at times before. And Giants people acknowledge Sandoval’s improved shape. Sandoval is using the noted fitness expert Rafael Alvarez, who has trained Felix Hernandez and Bobby Abreu in the past.
“He has a trainer 24 hours, seven days,” Vazquez said. “He works hard at it, and they know that. The weight issue is no issue.”
As for the money, Vazquez isn’t talking about that.
But he did dispel the original rumor that they ever sought Pence’s $90 million, five-year deal.
“We never said the Hunter Pence deal,” Vazquez said.
They certainly wouldn’t bring it up now as an asking price, if it ever even crossed their minds.
As Vazquez suggested, why limit should Sandoval himself now?
If $100 million-plus seemed a bit high earlier this year, at this point that figure certainly doesn’t look out of the question.
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